This African Inspired Crockpot Peanut Butter Soup would be delicious for a plant-based meal, or make it any time you want an interesting soup! This soup is so tasty, no one will guess it’s actually vegan!
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In Utah the spring weather can change in a minute, and I always like to have soup in the freezer for those days when the weather suddenly gets cold. And this Crockpot Peanut Butter Soup is one of the most interesting meatless soup recipes I’ve made and stashed away in the freezer! This African-inspired soup uses a whole cup of peanut butter in a soup with peppers, tomatoes, chiles, brown rice, and lentils! Does that sound good to you?
The inspiration came from an interesting soup recipe I saw online, and I upped the spices and added lentils. With brown rice, lentils, and peanut butter, this soup is loaded with protein and flavor, and a crockpot with this simmering away would be great to come home to after a hard day at work.
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What ingredients do you need?
What inspired people to put peanut butter in soup?
Besides the fact that it’s such a flavor boost, the idea of using peanut butter in soup and stew was inspired by peanut stew (also called groundnut stew) that’s common in West African countries such as Mali, Gambia, and Senegal. You can read more about variations for Peanut Stew and how it became popular in North America.
Can this Peanut Butter Soup cook all day?
If you have a slow cooker that cooks at a low setting, this soup can cook for eight hours while you’re at work. Just add the peanut butter and cook for another hour and dinner is ready. You can also cook for a shorter time on high if you want it done more quickly.
What size Slow Cooker did I use?
I used my favorite Crock-Pot 3.5 Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe, but a slightly larger size will also be fine.
Want more Slow Cooker Soup Recipes?
If you love making soup in the slow cooker, there’s a great collection of Cook-All-Day Slow Cooker Soups on my Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker site.
How to Make Crockpot Peanut Butter Soup:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Chop up the onions, red bell pepper, and green onions, and mince the garlic.
- Add those ingredients to the slow cooker with the lentils, brown rice, stock, canned tomatoes and spices. (Oops; not all those ingredients were added yet when we took this photo.)
- Cook on high for about 4 hours or on low for about 8 hours, or until the lentils and rice are well done.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cup of peanut butter.
- Cook on low for about one more hour (or you can do 30 minutes on high if you’re in a rush, but the peanut butter will stay smooth better if you cook it on low.)
- Serve hot, with sliced green onions for garnish if desired.
More Delicious Soups:
Peanut butter Tofu with Sriracha
Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Soup
Keto Recipes with Peanut Butter
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped in small pieces
- 1/4 cup sliced green onion
- 2 red bell peppers, seeds removed and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 T minced garlic
- 2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes with juice
- 8 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 T Ancho chile powder
- 1 tsp. New Mexico chile powder
- 1 tsp. Aleppo pepper (see notes)
- 1/2 cup uncooked brown lentils
- 1/4 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1 cup natural peanut butter (see notes)
Instructions
- Chop onions, green onion, bell peppers, and garlic and place in crockpot.
- Add canned tomatoes with juice, stock, ground cumin, Ancho chile powder (affiliate link), New Mexico chile powder, Aleppo Pepper (affiliate link), lentils, and brown rice.
- Cook on high for about low for about 8 hours. (You can also cook on high for 4 hours. If you’re home you can stir it once or twice, but it’s not essential.)
- After 8 hours, stir in peanut butter. Reduce heat to low if you were cooking on high.
- Cook about one more hour. Serve hot.
- This soup freezes well, and it’s great to have on hand for those spring days that suddenly feel like winter.
Notes
Use any combination of chile powders or spicy red pepper that you have if you don’t have Ancho chile powder or Aleppo pepper
Recipe adapted by Kalyn from Crockpot African Peanut Soup; recipe originally found at AllRecipes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 284Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 920mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 7gSugar: 11gProtein: 12g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Did you make this recipe?
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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
It’s important to use natural peanut butter if you’re making Crockpot Peanut Butter Soup for the original South Beach Diet, since many brands of peanut butter have a lot of added sugar. The use of brown rice would make this a phase two or three choice, but you could leave out the rice if you wanted to eat it for phase one. All the ingredients here are good choices for a low-glycemic eating plan but soup with lentils and brown rice is too high in carbs for a low-carb diet plan.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Slow Cooker Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest or on Facebook to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
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Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.
The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.
But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.
Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.
And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.
What makes the best keto chili?
Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.
In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.
Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.
Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.
But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.
Can you make keto chili ahead of time?
I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.
It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.
So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.
The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!
Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.
Tips for making Short Rib Chili
Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.
Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.
Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.
Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.
Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.
Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.
Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.
Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food?
Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.
Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 428kcal
Ingredients
- 3 lb bone in short ribs
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 large green pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- ⅓ cup beef bone broth
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.
In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.
Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.
Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Short Rib Chili
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)
Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319
% Daily Value*
Fat 35.4g54%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1.2g5%
Protein 22.6g45%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
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